New Zealand have maintained their lead on the World 7s Series standings after clinching their third cup title of the season.
The All Blacks 7s team emerged victorious in the Hong Kong 7s tournament, defeating Fiji 24-17 in a tightly contested final. With this win, they have now amassed a total of 142 points after eight rounds of the World 7s Series, keeping them comfortably ahead of second-placed Argentina, who are 21 points behind.
Qualify from World 7s Series
Fiji’s impressive performance in the Hong Kong 7s helped them climb up to third on the leaderboard, with a total of 113 points, boosting their hopes of qualifying for the Olympics.
France, who have already secured their spot at the Olympics as hosts, are in fourth place with 112 points. South Africa are in fifth place with 101 points, making them one of the teams in the direct qualification bracket.
Other teams still in contention for direct qualification to the Olympics include Australia, Samoa, Ireland, and USA, who have 99, 96, and 91 points, respectively. The top four eligible teams on the leaderboard will qualify for the Olympics.
Great Britain sit at the 10th position with 72 points, while Spain are out of the dangerzone by reaching the Cup quarters in the Hong Kong 7s. Uruguay are in the 12th position with 39 points.
Kenya 7s staggering
Kenyan 7s dismal performance in the Hong Kong 7s saw them pick up only one point. They are now 10 points below the safety line and will need to perform well in Singapore and Toulouse to avoid heading into the relegation playoffs.
How will relegation be decided from the men’s Series 2023?
The 15th ranked core team based on accumulated Series points following the tenth round in Toulouse will be relegated. The teams ranked 12th, 13th and 14th at the end of Toulouse will enter a four-team relegation play-off together with the Challenger Series 2023 winners at the eleventh and final round of the Series in London.
The relegation play-off will be round-robin format with the top two teams then playing a final. The winner will become the 12th core team on the 2024 Series, while the other three teams will enter their respective Regional Sevens Championships in order to qualify for the 2024 World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series. The Challenger Series will continue to provide a pathway for teams to qualify for the World Rugby Sevens Series.
